Ashley Wearne

Ashley has developed and managed a variety of clean development projects with a focus on sustainable, decentralised infrastructure that is deeply integrated in the local community. Outside Australia, he has worked for Germany and the EU’s international development programs in Timor Leste, Uganda, Mozambique, and Europe, partnering with farmers, local and national governments, energy regulators and ministries. Currently, Ashley focuses on urban ecology projects connecting local communities to sustainable, low-tech approaches to environmental management. This work involves the piloting of local technologies and operational strategies and the engagement with land managers both government and private.Ashley holds a MA degree in international economics from Monash University. He is a founding member of the Australian Local Community Composters Alliance. He is also the Site and Sustainability Manager for 9 acres of crown land, and runs his own research and pilots through his organisation Ecology and Community.

Recent articles by Ashley Wearne

Policymakers confused about compost

Policymakers confused about compost

Food waste collection services have dominated the discussion around landfill emissions recently. With a lot of things happening in the organic waste sector, I have recently mapped and met with many small-scale composters around Australia, to get an idea of the contribution that decentralised organic waste processing could make towards landfill reduction targets. The pattern emerging is that rural communities take to composting quite well, while the number of composting communities in Sydney and Melbourne is quite small. Brisbane, however, is quite surprising.